David Beckham Made Me Watch Soccer
Seriously…I like soccer just about as much as I enjoy watching hockey (sorry, hockey fans). I don’t. But what did I do last night? Watch the Los Angeles Galaxy play Chelsea FC. You’ve been under a rock if you haven’t heard about David Beckham joining the Los Angeles MLS team. I try to focus all of my energy on one celebrity at a time. I chose Eva and Tony for the summer. But somehow, David Beckham kept getting in the way. Heck, Eva even went to the game as a guest of Posh Spice in the skybox. How can I ignore that?
Jennifer Love Hewitt may have described the event most accurately: “This is better than any movie premiere I’ve been to recently”. Man I love JLH (drop Ross McCall ASAP…just a suggestion). When she’s right, she’s right. There were more movie stars per square foot there than any given day on Sunset Blvd. And although I’ve never been to a movie premiere, I do know that the energy and excitement I saw yesterday as Beckham entered the field during warmups was off the charts…kinda like the Texas/USC Rose Bowl. And I rarely compare sports energy to a college football game. The paparazzi assumed the position — right in the guy’s face. How ridiculous is that?
Beckham Momentum
So, the question remains…will this momentum and excitement carry on? No doubt that Beckham’s addition to MLS has boosted attention of the sport. I don’t know much about soccer, but as they showed his career highlights he didn’t seem to be “one of the best players to ever play the game” as one commentator described it. He seems more like a Robert Horry — a clutch role-player who gets it done when you need him to. And please, soccer fans, correct me if I’m wrong. Just don’t correct my use of the word “soccer” because there’s only one real football.
And is it just me, or did you expect Brett Favre’s voice (ok…maybe his pitch) to come out of Beckham’s mouth? He sounds like a lovable Pixar movie character…or the GEICO gecko.
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July 22nd, 2007 at 7:48 am
Ok, so i can’t let the hockey jab go unnoticed. Honestly nothin against your Spurs but I can’t help but equate basketball to a bunch of really tall men playing a form of hot potato where the whole game stops if they make body contact in the wrong way. At least with hockey human collisions are not cause for the game to stop entirely (for the most part).
Anyway… I grew up watching soccer. I was never good at the sport but my younger brother played for one of the Michigan Premier club teams. The game certainly grows on you, particularly if the players you are watching have skill. I think that the game in the US will catch on now with Beckham’s help. Did he need to come for it to happen, yes. But if you were interested in the game, despite weather or not Beckham had played would you have still said you had a good time watching it? After all, he only got in the game in the 78th minute.
my complaint: Why didn’t they show John Terry’s goal for Chelsea in the post game highlights. That made me mad.
July 22nd, 2007 at 1:22 pm
LOL! I knew someone (either you or Ed Lau) was gonna bring the hockey jab. I actually don’t mind hockey, esp live. I did leave out that I don’t have the patience to watch baseball. Ironically, I’ll watch golf all day.
I’ve watched soccer before. I do like it. But I’ll basically watch it if it’s the only thing on. My friend (and bar partner) is a soccer fanatic. A Man U fan at that. I admit, I did enjoy last night’s game.
July 22nd, 2007 at 10:44 am
It will be interesting to see if adding Beckham will really help the sport in the longterm. Already, there has been a huge buzz about his team, but I think that may only be a short term event.
July 22nd, 2007 at 1:25 pm
That’s kinda what I’m thinking too…short term. Although season ticket sales for the year have already increased. And he’s got a 5-year contract. Will definitely be interesting.
July 22nd, 2007 at 11:50 am
Nice to hear that Beck’s has at least got a few more people to pay attention to the sport. I guess soccer could have worse fans than Jennifer Love Hewitt. Anyway, I fell in love with soccer a couple years ago. What really got me is that the structure of the European leagues is such that every game is important–a rarity in professional sports outside of the NFL. If you enjoyed the game, I highly recommend you check out the English Premier League–it’s very exciting and almost every game is like a Mich/OSU match-up.
July 22nd, 2007 at 1:26 pm
…or a Texas/Texas A&M…or a Texas/Oklahoma matchup down here in my neck of the woods (nothing against Mich and OSU).
July 22nd, 2007 at 2:28 pm
[…] Derrich is now a soccer fan due to David Beckham’s arrival in Los Angeles. Honestly, I can’t believe more people (read: America) don’t watch soccer but can pay […]
July 22nd, 2007 at 9:11 pm
Hey Derrich, you know how I knoy you’re gay? Because you tuned in to a soccer game to watch David Beckham.
I don’t have kids yet, but when I do, I think I would rather hear the words, “Dad, I think I like boys” from my son than to hear him say, “Dad, will you sign me up for soccer.”
I’m so sick of the sports media trying to stuff this garbage down America’s throat. News flash…Americans don’t like soccer. There are 3 sports: Football, Baseball, and Basketball. Hell, I’ll even concede to NASCAR before I acknowledge any sport where the players wear long sleeves with shorts. Don’t get me started on that fashion fauxpas (sure could go for a spell check right about now).
July 23rd, 2007 at 12:26 am
*snicker*
Very funny, “E”.
July 23rd, 2007 at 6:16 am
Now, I’m not sure if Derrich is gay or not, but I will have to say that I agree with E on this one. I have never watched soccer nor am I comtemplating it.. It’s just not that exciting for me, and as far as the longsleeves with the shorts..well I second that..
July 23rd, 2007 at 10:11 am
hiiiiiiiiiii !!!!!!! oh im a big soccer fan and of course im not under a rock!! ive been following everything this summer eva longoria wedding, live earth, the new 7 wonders and of course the biggest of them all the beckhams conquer america series!!
they made such a big impression … 
ah david is CUTE!!
July 23rd, 2007 at 3:16 pm
Beckham is spawning a whole generation of faux-mohawk, collar-popping, metrosexual, wannabe bar stars.
Anyways, rant over.
I tagged you in a new meme, I hope you’ll participate Derrich.
http://www.leochiang.com/the-blogging-tip-meme/
Leo
February 20th, 2008 at 10:45 am
well he didnt play all that well over here in the uk so now he’s getting on a bit i expect to see him start to getting injured more often and most problably retire by 2010
March 4th, 2008 at 7:41 am
You should watch Ronaldihno not Beckham
March 7th, 2008 at 2:04 am
Derrich, have you ever realised that the kid in your Avatar is a soccer fan? (Feyenoord)
March 7th, 2008 at 2:51 am
As a matter of fact I do…my good ol’ baby hooligan! I love that pic!
March 15th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
I am going to watch Becks tonight! La Galaxy is coming to town. Hopefully he is as good as they say.